Indian restaurants in Taipei

All Indian Restaurants in Taipei are crap. At best a couple are OK but when that’s the case the food is overpriced for what it is. Maybe the people who run them assume a certain level of ignorance on the part of the population about Indian food which is probably true as far as the Taiwanese go. But no one should be cheated. But as a Brit I feel our national cuisine should be better represented. Oh yes.

[quote]fee wrote:

Did anyone catch the review of the Hindustan in the Taipei Times today? Another positive review–surprise, surprise–another hard-hitting restaurant review by Gavin Phipps.

Say that to his face. Go on! I can just imagine his retort.
Gavin loves his “ruby murrays”.[/quote]

OK, Fredericka. What’s a “ruby murray”? Wait a minute–now I get it. Oh, a search on google yielded:

“A ‘Ruby Murray’ may live on as a cheeky piece of cockney rhyming slang for an Indian dinner, but so too does the memory of the legendary singer whose name sprang so readily to the lips of the person that first used it in that context. For Ruby’s voice became familiar to all who lived in Britain during the 1950s and her name, indeed, became a household word.”

OK, so Gavin loves curry. And I like many of his feature articles. But you have to admit–and I’ll bet that he would, too–that he writes nothing but soft, warm, glowing positive reviews of restaurants.

I know you say that you have to read between the lines, but come on–I’d like to see Gavin take a restaurant to task every now and again. Not every restaurant in Taipei serves excellent food. Not every Indian restaurant in Taipei has great “feed”–or the best chutney in Taipei (“And that’s no bullshit!”). So, just tell it like it is, even if Gavin loves all types of curry.

And I’ve never met Gavin, but if I ever did have the chance to meet with him, I would say directly to his face that his restaurant reveiws are soft. And no matter what clever retort he had for that–if he didn’t admit that this was true, then he’s just not being honest–with me or himself.

Anybody notice an ‘Indian’ restaurant in the alley near Chung-hsiao/Tun-hua? It’s called ‘Yin-Du Feng’… Indian Fan, or so they translate.

Set meals starting at NT$250. So-so curry. Very small portions. Includes a pitiful salad bar and the tea was in a bag. Mosquitos biting my friend and an atmosphere more like a cellar.

It’s in the same alley as that piece of Italian crapola- Papa Giovanni’s. I’ll try to get the address… so you can avoid it.

Went to the Hindustan the other day and it rocked. We got three specials and some vegetable samosas (excellent) and some pokara (excellent) and then three curry specials: lamb, chicken and vegetable (potato and cauliflower) as well as a vegetarian dish (mostly okra so make sure you like that). The lamb was fucking off the chart with that perfect burn (light) and full range of spices including bay leaf to flesh it out. I just about fell off my chair because the last time I was there a couple of months ago, we got shit Hakka Chinese style Indian with a chicken curry that had the meat on the bone and a very bloody bone it was too. I just about ralphed. This time it was fantastic. NT$500 per person.

BUT again, a word of caution, I have yet to find consistent reliable food at any Indian restaurant in town. The Himalaya was a bit disappointing the last few times. Again, a couple times ago it was excellent but this time at the Hindustan was f—ing fantastic.

Head over there while the same chef is still there though. Who knows what will happen when he leaves. Must be illegal the food was so authentic. Whenver the Hindustan loses a chef the waiters or family must cook hence the very gamy, bloody, bony shit that they passed off on us the last time.

Is it worth a trip this weekend? Hell yes if it is the same chef we had on Friday!

Recent visits to Himalaya on the other hand have been so so. Why is it so damned difficult for Indian restaurants to offer any consistency.

Wanted to meet the chef though. Big no no. Management will not allow so either the cook is illegal or they are afraid that he will be stolen away? Perhaps this is what they did themselves or they have had past experience with such things. Would not put it past the local restauranteurs.

Anyway just an update. How long the good eats at Hindustan will last is anyone’s guess. These things never seem to last.

freddy

Thanks, Fred. Didn’t make it their last weekend. Looking to head there this weekend.

Indian food in Taipei always seems to be hit-or-miss. Hope it will still be a hit at the Hindustan this Saturday.

Thanks again.

I always find it more hit than miss at The Himalaya on Yen Ping North.
Deepak’s also catered for quite a few functions I’ve had or attended. Catered for my wedding too. Great service, great food.

HG

HGC:

Yes, the Himalaya is good too but I am repeatedly disappointed with Deepak’s stingy use of midrange spices like coriander, cumin, paprika, etc. All I taste is chili and black pepper. The Tandoor style cauliflower (new) is a disaster that should be removed from the menu and the Punjabi pakoras or samosas are way too greasy and too bready (and the breaded part is too tough). Also, one chicken dish recently was very gamy. Overall, good but not always consistent on each and every dish.

I know what you mean Fred, but then I stick to my favourites - which I can’t suddenly recall except that eggplant dish - and I’m nevver dissapointed.

HG

Need a Place:

I think that the Tandoor is too expensive and the portions are too small and the Tandoor can be too dry at times. Some of the dishes are pretty good. Must get back to give it a try but it has not been my favorite for a while.

Ali Baba’s is excessively oily/greasy. Food okay but not the best. Medium. Not offensively bad or deliciously good. Have to make a return to test it out though.

Finally, I would say right now Hindustan (if it keeps going with this chef whoever he/she is) and the Himalaya are the two serious contenders.

New Delhi has been bad for a while. Expensive, small portions, shittiest service of all Indian restaurants in town and so so food.

Gotta check the new chef strut his stuff at the Hindustan by the sounds of it.

A waste of time, but what’s the name of that god awful Indian (well they reckon it is) joint on Ren Ai?

Got duped by the decor and the sign professing Indian food. Calling it some weird Taiwanese fusion would have been too kind. Truly awful.

HG

Dazzle Curry? Give it a wide, wide miss. Listed in the Lonely Planet–the curry is so awful (and overpriced) I don’t know how it stays in business.

Close to the intersection with JianGuo and the jade/flower market.

The dumplings further up the street (RenAi toward Fuxing) are much better.

Yep, that’s the one. Dazzle, I was certainly beDazzled by its outstanding incompetence.

HG

I can’t believe there’s only one mention of the Spice Shop on here. I have travelled all the way to Tienmu, just for their butter chicken, chicken tikki masala, palak paneer, and vegetable samosas. I admit, it’s a little let down after staying in London for a month of heaven for an Indian cuisine fan (apricot and date samosas with peach sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream at a place near the Tower of London…sigh), but it’s the best Indian food I’ve had here. There’s a branch in Kaohsiung, which is where I first ate their food before finding out there was one here in Taipei.
Their portions used to be huge, but now they are a little smaller than I remember. Still, you’ll leave feeling full for under $400 a person.

Haven’t heard of that one. Time for an expedition to darkest Tienmu. Imani, you don’t happen to have the address do you?

[quote=“Muffin”]My favorite Indian restaurant is The Spice Shop in Tien Mu (Tianmu) b[/b].

Great food, good friendly service and the prices are reasonable for the big portions.

And as far as I know, no one from Glossika eats there.

Address:
Tien Mu (Tianmu) b[/b]East Rd.
Lane 50, Alley 10
No. 6, 1 Fl.

Tel: 2873-7775[/quote]

Enjoy! :wink:

There was also a Spice Shop in Taichung. I thought it was ok, not outstanding by any means. Perhaps the flavour was watered down for local tastes, can’t really recall.

Come on Imani, what’s the address then? Best have a try.

HG

I put it up from Muffin’s post.

Tandoor was spot on today. Moving it back to No. 1 in my book. The portions are larger again and so it’s not quite the expensive proposition that it was previously. The owner seems to be a bit less complacent about keeping diners happy and that means they are. No. 2 is Hindustan if the current chef remains. No. 3 is going to be Himalaya. Deepak just cannot get those midrange spices right and more on this later since there is only one consistency with Indian restaurants in town and that is that they are NOT consistent.

Spice Shop. Hmmm, not really Indian in my book. The owners are Hakka from Calcutta just like many other restaurants but by virtue of being in Tienmou - full on Americanization of the food. They don’t use ghee but milk and butter instead and also the texture is too creamy and the flavors too bland. This is the perfect restaurant for Americans who think that they like Indian food but don’t really. I would almost say if you were wondering what airplane Indian food tastes like, this would be it. That said, it is still good. It just is not very authentic and nothing I have had there is very memorable. It’s okay if you live in Tienmou and cannot be bothered to head downtown otherwise…

The raita in particular reminded me of Kraft French Onion dip. Know what I mean?

[quote=“fred smith”]Tandoor was spot on today. Moving it back to No. 1 in my book. The portions are larger again and so it’s not quite the expensive proposition that it was previously. The owner seems to be a bit less complacent about keeping diners happy and that means they are. No. 2 is Hindustan if the current chef remains. No. 3 is going to be Himalaya. Deepak just cannot get those midrange spices right and more on this later since there is only one consistency with Indian restaurants in town and that is that they are NOT consistent.

Spice Shop. Hmmm, not really Indian in my book. The owners are Hakka from Calcutta just like many other restaurants but by virtue of being in Tienmou (Tianmu) - full on Americanization of the food. They don’t use ghee but milk and butter instead and also the texture is too creamy and the flavors too bland. This is the perfect restaurant for Americans who think that they like Indian food but don’t really. [/quote]

If I didn’t know any better, I’d be insulted.

ImaniOU:

Sorry I see you point. No insult intended. I just meant that the Americanization is a bit heavy and it seems a bit geared to the no doubt numerous TAS students in the area. It is however very nice and creamy (texturewise) and there is certainly no reason why that cannot appeal to anyone. There is no right or wrong when it comes to food. I only meant that the Brits who are used to the “real” Indian might not find it very appealing. :wink:

fred